The premiere of the film Leila’s Brothers, which was presented in Cannes last year and first screened in Italy at the end of March at the FESCAAAL film festival in Milan and the BiFest film festival in Bari, was held as a private screening at the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Tehran, Giuseppe Perrone, in the presence of the film’s cast and director Said Roustaee.
The film, which tells the story of an imperfect family where the daughter Leila is the only lifeline in the face of the irresponsibility of her four male siblings and father, is a metaphor for the central role played by women in contemporary Iranian society.
Among those attending the event was Taraneh Alidoosti, the extraordinary performer playing the character of Leila, and leading actress in Iranian cinema, who was arrested and later released last January for her public support of the recent protests.
“The film” said Ambassador Perrone, “is among the finest productions of Iranian cinema. It is a tribute to the tenacity and courage of Iranian women that continues to inspire deep admiration in Italy and Europe”.
Roustaee, despite his young age (33), is already known to Italian audiences for his other masterpiece, Just 6.5, nominated for the Orizzonti Prize at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.
